1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an apparatus for recording on a recording medium an image signal obtained by sensing the image of an object to be photographed.
2. Description of the Related Art
The recording and reproducing apparatus of the kind called an electronic still video camera is arranged to record a video signal obtained by image sensing means on a recording medium such as a magnetic disc or the like and to reproduce the record from the medium. The electronic still video cameras known at present are arranged merely to record and reproduce a TV signal conforming to a currently prevalent television system, such as the NTSC system. In the case of the still video camera adapted for the NTSC system, the number of scanning lines is 525 per frame and the horizontal resolution is only 350 TV or thereabout.
During recent years, video tape recorders have become capable of giving a higher degree of picture quality. As a result, the electronic still video camera is now strongly desired to be capable of giving also a higher image quality. In the case of the still video camera, it is a still image that is to be recorded and reproduced. The currently attainable degree of resolution is insufficient. Compared with a picture taken by the silver-halide type camera or the like, the quality of a picture obtained by printing a video signal reproduced from a magnetic disc is by far inferior to that of the former.
Meanwhile, a novel television system of a high picture quality called a high-definition television system has lately been proposed and is now under experimentation. For an electronic still video camera capable of matching with the new television system, the currently prevalent recording and reproduction format is hardly adoptable as it is. Further, even if a new format is adopted for an electronic still video camera to enable the camera to match with the new television system, it would be difficult to have interchangeability between cameras adapted for new and old formats.